Precious
by Kironomi
Summary: Blaine and Kurt were supposed to have a normal Saturday in Westerville.


Blaine and Kurt liked going out together. Since that day in which Kurt had tried the spy look and Blaine decided that it wasn't meant for him, they had gone in a total of fifteen dates. Well, Blaine considered them to be dates, even if they hung out, more often than not, with either Mercedes or Wes and David. Or both. Wow, he recalled; that had been intense. He had been thorn between feeling threatened by scarily knowing glares by a certain powerful black woman and embarrassment due to subdued comments that had nothing innocent in their content by Fred and George Weasley, Dalton version.

The meeting had, however, been surprisingly fun and carefree, just like any other date between himself and Kurt. The problem lied, however, in the fact that he was the only one that considered them to be dates.

Don't get him wrong, Blaine was perfectly aware that Kurt didn't feel the same way as he did. He also knew the younger boy didn't know Blaine did like him, or that he was painfully aware of every movement the younger teen made, or even that he knew whenever Kurt entered a room without even looking. Neither did he notice how his head snapped up after a long period of being lost in thoughts of him only to be startled by his sweet voice.

Or how, right now, his mind travelled, rambled, unfocused only to focus again on Kurt's lips and eyes, his reddened cheeks, his arm barely grazing Blaine's; the light sway of his hips or his laughter as Blaine told him about Wes and David's most embarrassing experiences. He almost felt bad for telling him everything that was worthy of blackmail material, but he figured Kurt should have weapons when fighting the infamous duo. When he thought about that together with the memories of the meeting with Mercedes, he instantly felt the need to tell more.

But now, though, the only need he felt was to see Kurt's blue eyes sparkle up with amusement and borderline magic.

"Oh, you are lying!" the nymph's voice told him.

"I am not! I am serious, his girlfriend was a total, how did he say it? Ah, a total cockblock for a whole month." At this, Kurt laughed even louder "Honestly, he was so desperate by the second week that he said that even I with my furry eyebrows started to look appealing."

"Oh, your eyebrows are stunning!" Kurt complimented him, curling his arm around Blaine's.

Blaine smirked and wiggled said eyebrows. "Really?"

Kurt mirrored him "Yes, not very fashionable, but still..."

And they kept on walking down the busy street. Some lamps were starting to light up for the night was quickly approaching. Blaine sighed softly. That meant returning to the Academy soon or they'd risk breaking the curfew. The ride back would be an hour long so they'd better hurry. Blaine didn't want to, however; the afternoon had been so perfect, with Kurt giving him all sort of shopping tips and making him buy certain items that he thought would look on him. Blaine was flattered by the fact that Kurt already knew what would fit him. He had thanked and accepted Kurt's advices for he knew the boy was an expert regarding fashion and he could very well do with some council. After all, only today Kurt had made five different snide remarks about his sweater choice. Harsh, but constructive critiques.

Kurt gasped beside him, breaking his line of thought.

"What's wrong?" Blaine was quick to ask. Kurt tugged at his coat and squinted his eyes.

"Isn't that Wes and David?"

Blaine followed his gaze and spotted, indeed, the devilish pair going up the street, only a bare twenty metres away from them.

"Hide!" he said, without even thinking, grabbing Kurt's hand- Kurt's very soft hand, he had time to notice- and entering the nearest shop. A bell rang swiftly above them as the door opened and closed. Blaine took a quick look, taking in glimpses of clothes and clocks before pushing Kurt to the nearest book stand.

"Blaine, what the-"

"Shush!"

"Shush? Why would i-"

But he didn't finish that sentence for the older boy pressed his hand firmly against his mouth. From where they were placed, they saw Wes and David leaning against the glass that protected the shop's showcase and peeking inside the establishment. Blaine frowned. Had they spotted them entering the shop? Maybe he should really improve his stealth abilities. He could never expect them to be superior to the ones of his best friends, though. Hiding in a aisle between two dusty bookshelves in a grim-looking shop with an astonished expression on his face as they entered was the proof.

How did they even know he was spending his afternoon with Kurt in town? He had made sure not to mention it to anyone and Kurt had as well.

He was about the give up the futile hiding and skip to the mental torture by greeting them when Wes spoke.

"Do you really think this is going to work?"

"Believe me." David said his voice certain as he patted the bell on the counter. "It's as you said. They won't even know what hit them."

"Especially Blaine." Agreed Wes, laughing in a way that made Blaine overall nervous.

"Oh, too bad we won't be there to see his face! I mean-"he was cut off by the arrival of the shop's owner.

"Ah, you were the gentlemen that came here a week ago, right?" the old lady asked, with a gentle, polite voice. David nodded when Wes gave a short "yes". Hell, gentle and polite could mean anything, really. Wes and David were gentle and polite around teachers and the rest of the school's staff. No, Blaine was sure the lady was as devilish as them.

"I really had trouble finding it. There wasn't a single item of the kind here in America. I had to look overseas."

"But you found it?" Wes insisted.

The old lady smiled and went backstairs without saying a word. Wes and David looked to one another as the soft noise of boxes being shuffled around was heard through the curtain behind the counter. Blaine frowned. What kind of prank were the two planning to do? He thanked god for having passed with Kurt by that street the time he did or he would have been completely caught by surprise by whatever was on Wes and David's plan.

Kurt! He suddenly remembered the taller boy and, glancing sideways to him, he saw the panicked raise of his eyebrows. He shrugged, hoping to relieve some of the error. A single eyebrow arched even higher, if that was possible, and Blaine became aware of the fact that he was still covering most of Kurt's face. He mouthed an "I'm sorry" and removed his wicked hand, his skin still a bit tingly from the contact. He turned his head again to the scene playing at the counter just in time to see the old lady return.

"Here it is." She said, carefully putting down a beige, big box. "It arrived this morning."

She then lifted the lid partially and the two teens before her grinned.

"Oh, that is just perfect." David commented.

"If i were the kind of person that said 'oh my god'..."

"Do you think he will?"

"That will be the first set of three words he will say."

"So you gather-"

"Definitely."

Both Blaine and the store keeper were watching this exchange of words with a baffled expression, the only difference residing in the fact that Blaine was trying his hardest to take a peek at whatever was inside the box. Which his current hiding place wouldn't let him. He craned his neck to the left, to the right, but he could not see the damned object. He was already half-tempted to scream "Accio mysterious box" when the shopkeeper shut the lid closed and smiled again "Yes, it is a beauty. Shall we discuss the payment?"

She then said the price and David whistled. It took Blaine all his self-control not to do the same.

"Uh...Do you take credit card?" Wes asked, although he audibly swallowed as well.

What the hell? What kind of prank were they planning that could very well empty their full pockets? "It must be something big." He thought, his mind running through various scenarios. Mixing itching powder in every single shampoo bottle? No, that was actually cheap. He might keep his hair products locked away in his bedroom, though. Adulterating the cafeteria's food? No, they actually ate there. What about filling his wardrobe with creepy-looking stuffed animals? It could not be, the box was too small and the plushies would have been way too expensive. Why would they even buy vintage plushies only to tease Blaine? He blew out a frustrated breath. He could not possibly imagine what was going on his friends' head.

They paid and left with the package in a matter of five minutes.

Blaine eyed Kurt's face and he could see clearly that he, too, was confused. Confused and terrified.

A distinct cough was heard behind Blaine and he turned around to see the old lady staring at him.

"Gentleman, do you have any item you are interested in?"

Kurt jumped slightly behind him and Blaine too was startled.

"No, I...I..." he looked around desperately and grabbed the first book he could "Yes!This book! It, it is brilliant! Just what I was looking for..."

The owner looked at the book and laughed lightly "That book is, indeed, very good. 'Table manners for little dames'"

Blaine frowned. "No, it is..." he looked at the book's cover and blushed as he saw the Victorian drawing of two little girls having tea "It's-It's for my sister!" he tried to explain, looking at the old lady again.

"I heard the doorbell ring twice when those two entered together. Then there were you two, clearly hiding from them like rabbits."

Blaine opened his mouth to talk but was beaten by Kurt "Can you tell us what was in the box?"

Blaine blinked. So much for smooth talking.

The owner didn't comment on the abruptness of the question and answered with another surprising question.

"Are you two, by any chance, Blaine and Kurt?"

"We are." Kurt answered.

A large grin broke in the woman's face.

"I'd hurry if I were you."

Blaine took the advice seriously, putting the book back in its shelf, grabbing Kurt's hand and saying a polite "goodbye" before leaving.

Blaine had barely had the time to sit down on his bed and make some more reflexion about the antique shop when Kurt burst through his dorm's room.

"My room. Now." he managed to say, between breaths, and was gone again. Blaine lay in his bed for some stunned moments, got up and ran to Kurt's dorm room. In the corridor, some rooms' door were open so he caught some stares while running barefoot on the long carpet to another boy's room. Kurt's door was open wide. A sudden wave of distress washed over him as he feared whatever lay in that division. He entered with quick, large strides and gasped as he saw a package on Kurt's bed.

"Is that..."

"Yes!" Kurt answered, impatiently, getting to Blaine's side.

"Blaine..." he said, and his eyes locked with the other teen's "What if that's a bomb?"

Blaine shook his head vigorously.

"No way." He said, but doubted his words for a second "It would have been more expensive." When Kurt didn't laugh, he hurriedly added "I'm joking. They wouldn't do that. They are in charge of the school remember? Which, by the way, is something terrifying, if we think of it. They have two thirds of the power over the school and we can't do anything about it."

Kurt looked at him like he had grown an extra head.

"Not that any of it matters! They won't do anything bad to you; you're safe!"

"Sorry. This..." Blaine gestured towards the box "It's making me nervous. Shall we open it?"

Kurt nodded and approached the bed with great care, removing his scarf slowly and setting it on the desk. Blaine toed closer to the bed as well and, determined, started to unwrap the package. There were confusing, festive ribbons everywhere; one would think that the box was some kind of gift!

When they finally had thrown all that wrapping paper into the ground, they exhaled very quickly with relief. The wrapper wasn't, thank god for that, something harmful. The only thing left was the box. Now he could clearly see that it was the same as the store one, for it was beige as well. How did his friends have time and skills to put the box in such a pretty wrapping paper? He couldn't recall if they had done it at the store... Blaine gulped and hurried to lift the lid.

"Oh my god!" exclaimed Kurt to his side. It wasn't a cry of horror or bewilderment as Blaine would have expected, neither the contents of the box were, by any chance, harmful. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Inside the rectangular recipient, carefully put there surrounded by fancy protection paper, was a coat. It resembled a trench coat. A beige trench coat. It reminded him of noir movies, cigarettes and umbrellas on a rainy night. It was Kurt's size, he could tell, and his brain could actually deduct, in that moment of stupefaction, that is was Wes and David's Christmas gift to Kurt.

He turned to the younger boy to tell him just that when he saw the look on his eyes. Better, the tears. He frowned in confusion and looked at the trench coat again. Did he miss any kind of hidden meaning?

"Blaine..." Kurt whispered "Do you know what this is?"

Blaine frowned even harder and alternated his look between Kurt and the coat.

"I'm afraid I don't." He croaked out. Kurt smiled and Blaine had one more moment of confusion before understanding that Kurt was crying with happiness. Nothing was making any sense to him anymore, not even Kurt.

The taller teen got up and Blaine followed.

"What, what is this?" he asked as Kurt grabbed his hair. And now he was sure the world had turned upside down. Kurt would never grab his hair.

Kurt made some wild gesturing towards the box "This is-This is _actual_ vintage clothing from the 20's!"

Blaine gasped "What? Are you serious?"

"Yeah!"

"So...Is that something actually great?"

"Blaine!" Kurt reprimanded, with fake anger "This is amazing!" he bent over the bed and picked up the piece of clothing with extreme care. The soft sound of fabric rustling and something falling called his attention.

"Hey- it dropped a piece of card!"He said, picking it up.

"Open it!" commanded Kurt, still holding the trench coat tightly to his chest.

Blaine did so and read the note. "Dear Kurt, your eyes are thunderous storms in the sea; I loose myself in them. I crave your lips above all chocolate, all forbidden fruits that exist in this world. Your voice is the essence of life itself..." Blaine was starting to get a bit jealous. Wes and David knew he liked Kurt. Why were they writing these things to him? If they were declaring, he mused, he'd have to make some inquiring. That's what he thought before reading the signature "Forever yours- no..."

"What? What does it say?" Kurt asked, peeking over his shoulder.

"Blaine." The shorter boy concluded "Bastards..."he looked at Kurt and gestured towards the note "I didn't write this."

Kurt frowned "Why would they do this, give such an expensive present and write a...very poetic note, all in your behalf?"

Blaine's throat went suddenly very dry.

"Oh...Oh, you know the sort of prank Wes and David find funny!" he said, giving a little twirl and gripping the piece of paper in his hands. His heart also seemed to beat a bit faster. The things those cretins made him go through...

"Oh." Was Kurt's sad reply. He put the trench coat back in the box.

"Yeah..." Blaine said, glancing sideways to see a very distressed Kurt. He sat in the bed next to him. "But hey, they thought _they_ were putting a prank on _us_? Well now you have a brand new...well, old coat." He put an arm around Kurt's shoulders. Not because he was looking a bit too miserable for someone who had just received a gift, but because he wanted to touch him right now. He had been so close to telling him...Maybe he should have.

The moment was gone, though. Perhaps someday he would be ready.

"Yeah, you're right." Kurt said after a little while "But I can't tell them that I know the gift is from them; they would know we hung out without them."

Blaine was silent for a bit. Well, why not?

"What about we don't tell them anything?"

Kurt frowned. "But they know I got a gift. I'd be surprised if half of the school didn't by tomorrow."

Blaine slowly smirked. "They'll pretend the gift is from me." He looked at Kurt "What about we do as well? After all, I declared myself to you in that beautiful card."

"You mean..." Blaine nodded and a grin grew on Kurt's lips "They won't even know what hit them."


End file.
